The Ultimate Test
by monkeygirl77
Summary: God has one more test for Michael, forgive your brother and take care of him. Will he pass this one? Or will he fail? And at what costs?


Blue eyes fluttered open softly. They took a moment to catch their bearings and once they did they looked around the room slowly. A gentle breeze ruffled their hair as they turned to look at the open window. It was warm, midday, a white curtain blew in the breeze. It was then that they realized that they were laid out on a soft couch, an amber pillow where their head had been.

"Good good your awake"

Michael looked up at the voice, his face clouding over in confusion as a man walked through the open door. He looked familiar, felt familiar, it was almost as if he had met this man before.

"Father?"

The man nodded over the head of the five year old he cradled in his arms.

"Yes, Son, I am here now"

He adjusted his hold on the small five year old he held in his arms as he came to a stop in front of the elder archangel. Michael got to his feet a bit shakily but was able to steady himself. He gazed intently at the child his Father held in his arms and immediately recognized him.

Before he could question his Father as to why Lucifer was back to the age of a child, Chuck passed his eldest son his younger brother. Michael looked confused and out of place as he excepted his younger brother. Chuck looked at them for a moment more before nodding to something only he knew.

"Take care of your brother, I will be back in exactly a month"

And he was gone the next moment.

Michael was left staring at the spot his Father had just been standing in, unable to comprehend what was going on here. What had his Father meant by that? He gazed down at the small blonde in his arms and frowned slightly, he was holding a monster.

Lucifer choose that moment to let out sounds of wakefulness, he groaned and rubbed at his eyes with tiny fists. Bright red eyes fluttered open sleepily and looked around the room. His gaze traveled up to meet his brothers and Michael promptly dropped him on the floor. Lucifer let out a shriek as he fell, and a yelp when he landed harshly on his bottom.

Michael did not know what to do now that his brother was awake, the last time he had seen him in the freedom of Earth he was meant to kill him; and he may be the Good Son but he was not a child murderer.

Lucifer brushed it off and promptly jumped to his feet, looking around the room in amazement. His eyes landed on the toy chest in the corner and he let out a high pitched squeal as he ran as fast as his tiny legs would carry him towards it, Michael glowered at the child's back. Lucifer threw the top of the chest up and smiled widely at all the toys he had to play with.

He shyly looked back at his older brother and smiled slightly as he reached in and picked up a small blue truck (as blue was Mikey's favorite color), as well as a red one, and scurried back over to his beloved big brother looking up at him with shining red eyes. Michael met his gaze head on and ignored the flinch the younger angel gave at the harshness behind it. But Lucifer brushed it off once again and thrust the blue truck up towards his big brother.

"Mikey! Wanna play with me?"

Michael snorted harshly at the youth, "No."

Promptly turning around and leaving the small child in the living room, holding onto a blue toy truck and a red toy car, watching his big brother's retreating back as he wandered into the kitchen to prepare a meal for them to eat that night. His hands slowly lowered to his sides.

What had he done?

Around an hour later, Lucifer was playing out on the porch silently (as Mikey had yelled at him when he had started making noises of cars zooming and exploding) when a voice called out to him from inside, causing the youth to look up at the screen door.

"Lucifer, get in here now, supper is prepared"

He put his toys down and ran inside. He sniffed at the yummy smelling food and smiled as his tummy growled in response. He reached for a chicken nugget from his plate when a large hand shot out of no where and smacked his hand away hard. His head shot around as he pulled his sore hand back into his chest. Michael glared at him harshly as he poised his hand to do it again.

But most of all, his big brother had just struck him. Michael had never hit him before.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he didn't understand why his beloved big brother was so angry at him all of a sudden.

"You will wash up first and then give thanks to our Father"

Lucifer didn't move an inch.

Michael barked out, "Now"

He watched with heated eyes as the youth jumped in his seat and scurried out of the dining room. The sink turned on and the little buzz from the automatic soap dispenser, then a light speak as the faucet was turned off. Lucifer edged around his scary big brother on his way to the table. Watching with large red eyes as his brother stared right back at him from the seat across the table, quickly bowing his small blonde head as Michael glared harshly at him.

"After you are finished you will go up stairs and take a bath and then you will go to bed"

Lucifer just nodded silently as he munched carefully on a nugget. He ate the rest of his meal in silence, looking up shyly whenever he felt his big brother's glare on him. Michael's eyes were hard as they met gazes and he let out a small shriek and thrust his gaze back down to his plate.

He wasn't even nearly done when his plate was pulled away.

"You are finished"

Lucifer looked up at his brother, he was still hungry, but he was too frightened to voice these opinions. Michael glared at him angrily.

"Do as your told child, or are you really that eager for punishment"

Lucifer pushed his chair back and ran from the room before the tears in his eyes could fall for his big brother to see. He stumbled clumsily up the stairs to the bathroom. Tears falling down his small flushed cheeks as he turned on the water.

Why was Mikey so mad at him? Why was he being so mean? What had he done?

He climbed carefully in the tub, after stripping his jumper off, and slipped on the way in. He hit his knee on the side and pain rippled through his small leg. He held in his cries of pain. He ignored it though as he bathed himself silently and crawled out of the tub.

He was just climbing into bed when Michael came walking in. Lucifer looked over at the story book on the night table next to his bed and back up at his big brother. Maybe Mikey was just having a bad day and all was well now.

"Mikey, will you read me a story?"

Michael twitched in irritation, "No."

He watched as his big brother turned off the light and walked out of his room, closing the door behind him. Lucifer fingered the book in his lap slowly, refusing to let the tears fall this time, Mikey always read him stories before bed. He put the book on the table and looked around.

He had never liked the dark.

Least to say, Lucifer had not slept that night.

* * *

He woke up the next morning alone, frowning at the lack of his big brother. Mikey usually came to get him up from bed and he'd lift him up onto his shoulders and then he'd run (carefully mind you) out of his rooms while he would giggle and latch onto his hair. But Mikey wasn't here this morning.

He made it downstairs just as Michael was sitting down for breakfast.

Michael looked up at him silently, scrutinizing him for a moment, Lucifer was a bit uncomfortable.

"We will be going to church this morning, after you are finished you will go put some nice clothing on"

Lucifer nodded silently, leaving the rest of his food on the table as he headed back up stairs. Maybe if he didn't bug Mikey too much then maybe he wouldn't be so angry later. Michael watched him go silently.

He stood from the table and gathered his plate and his younger brothers, going to place it in the sink. He just turned around when his little brother came walking back in the kitchen, in a nice pair of dress pants and a collared shirt. Michael nodded in approval and motioned for the youth to follow.

As they walked up the driveway, Lucifer went out on a limb and grabbed at his big brothers hand. Michael pulled away as if he had been burned and glared at him scathingly.

"Do not touch my monster"

Lucifer froze as Michael kept going wondering how he was a monster, what had he done.

He sat at the small table in the kids classroom in Sunday school, listening to the teacher as she called him a monster and a beast.

"And then Lucifer snuck into the Garden and tricked Eve into eating the Forbidden Fruit. She then went to Adam and goaded him into eating the same fruit. He betrayed The Lord and was cast out of Heaven by the Archangel Michael."

She turned the page in the story book and a scary beast, red and burning with horns and spikes and leather wings, was what he saw.

"The Beast was cast from Heaven to be locked in Hell forever"

He wasn't a monster, and he like Eve, she always made him flower crowns to wear. Why would he disobey his Father? He loved Daddy. He raised his hand shyly, and the elderly teacher looked up at him with wide eyes as she took in his red eyes.

"Yes Dear?"

"But...Why did I-he disobey?"

The women smiled kindly at him, "Because he is evil sweetie. All the sinners will be taken down to Hell with him in the end. He was an Angel that became a monster"

He nodded. Maybe he was a monster, after all, one of his Daddy's teacher's couldn't lie could they? Maybe if he asked nicely Mikey would tell him what he had done, if he really was a monster, cause Mikey had never lied to him before.

When he asked, Michael had spun on him, "You are worse then a monster."

* * *

He snuck down the fist couple steps silently when he heard voices in the living room. One was Mikey, but he didn't recognize the other one at all.

"It is worthless Gabriel, I am telling you. He is a monster, a worthless beast, and him being nothing more then a child changes nothing. He will die, once Father has changed him back, as it was meant to be"

The other person responded.

"No, this was a mistake, he was a mistake."

Another response.

"He is no brother of mine, I struck him down once and I can do it again!"

Lucifer slipped on the step and his tiny heart beat faster as there was nothing but silence down in the living room. There was the sound of a larger person standing quickly and fast heavy footfalls could be heard coming from the room closer and closer to the steps. Lucifer got up and ran back to his room, throwing himself on the bed and under his covers just as his door opened.

Michael stared at him for a moment, deduced that he was hearing things, and shut the door closed once more.

Lucifer sniffled as he heard his brothers foot falls go back down stars. Mikey thought he was a monster, thought he was a mistake, he wanted him to die!

Maybe then he could finally do something that made Mikey happy.

* * *

He started school a week later and he hated it.

They made fun of him because of his eyes.

They made fun of him because of his 'shameful' name.

They made fun of him cause he was smart.

He _hated it._

The only one who he really liked was his arts teacher. She was younger then the other teachers and thought his eyes were cool and his name was exotic. She always made him giggle with her silly faces and he basked in her praise.

She loved his drawings a lot too.

* * *

Michael was just finishing the wash when the phone rang. He set the basket down on the table and reached for the device.

"Hello?"

 _"Hi, I'm trying to get a hold of a Mr...Michael Shurley"_

That was Father's 'last' name.

"This is him, who is this, might I ask?"

 _"Oh! Hello! This is Miss Tubins at Frazier Elementary, I am..Lucifer's art teacher."_

"What trouble has he caused now?"

Unbeknownst to him, on the other line, Vanessa Tubins had frowned.

 _"Oh, no sir, Lucifer is a great student, an angel really! I am just calling to bring to your attention something a tad alarming that your brother had turned in today"_

"What is it?"

There was no emotion in his voice and that worried the art teacher.

 _"Well, I had noticed the last couple weeks that your brother has become very closed off around the other children. He looks sad all the time, is everything alright at home? Then just this morning he turned in a free time drawing and it is quite alarming, I have sent you a copy via fax machine and would like to know if I should report this or if it is a misunderstanding."_

As if on command, the fax machine came to life and began forming a picture. Michael waited patiently for the page to come through. He grabbed it up quickly and even his eyes widened at the drawing. It was a child crude scribbles but a very distinct picture of a man dying and his eyes narrowed.

That little beast.

"I apologize for my brother's actions, believe me, they will be rectified, however we had only lost our father the month previous and I fear it is still affecting him"

 _"Oh! I understand completely, I lost my father not only a couple weeks before the year began, I apologize sincerely for the allegations I had made, they were out of context"_

"It is alright Miss, a simple mistake"

After they hung up, Michael crinkled the page in his hand as he turned to look upwards. He growled as he turned to make his way to the steps, stomping angrily up as he tightened his hands into fists. How dare that monster try and make him seem unfit, seem abusive in anyway, he was getting only what he deserved.

He was going set that monster straight.

Imagine his surprise when he slammed open the door to the little terrors room and everything was in tatters. His toys were strewn all over the floor. There was broken glass shards from light bulbs on the floor. Blood dotted the white carpet, and that had his eyes widening.

It was then that he spotted his little brother, sitting in the middle of the room, his back to the door and him but he could see Lucifer visibly shaking.

"Lucifer..."

The young blonde turned around sharply at his voice. His bloodshot puffy eyes widened at having been caught. Michael's eyes traveled from the bloody angel blade to the sigil that had been carved in his chest and tummy, and the elders eyes _widened._

Lucifer stumbled back as a sob broke from his throat, "NO! Mikey stay away! I CAN'T DO IT RIGHT! I KEEP TRYING! I just wanna make you happy 'gain Mikey! But..BUT I KEEP GETTING IT WRONG! I'M SO STUPID!"

Michael threw the paper to the floor, completely forgotten, as he ran forward in time to catch his brothers small body, Father had he always been this small, before he could hit the floor. His brothers face was glistening with sweat and he felt hot to the touch but Michael didn't know why. Foam started dripping from his brothers mouth slowly and he began to panic and much to his horror Lucifer's ruby red eyes roll into his head and he goes, absolutely, still. Something inside the elder snaps as he gazes down at his brothers still form.

He no longer see's the monster that had betrayed him or their family, but the young child whom would swing from his arms when they went walking together or would giggle that adorable giggle whenever he teased his adorable tummy (and neck!) with tickles.

He couldn't loose his baby brother! Not now! Not ever!

Michael gently wrapped his still body in the blanket he pulled off the young boys bed and ran out the door and down the stairs as fast as he could. Father had taken most of their grace away, they were practically human, and that being said he couldn't simply call Raphael down here to fix him.

He only hoped he wasn't too late.

When they had gotten to the hospital, the sigil morphing into what appears to be a stab wound to the human eye, doctors and nurses had taken his dear brother and rushed him away.

Leaving Michael standing in the waiting room, blood soaking his shirt and coating his hands, watching as the large security doors slammed shut.

What had he done?

* * *

Almost four hours later, they had gotten his baby brother stabilized and moved to a more permanent room. Michael sat at his bed side, holding one of his tiny hands. He played with the tiny fingers softly, musing on the last time he had seen his precious little brother this small.

He was still too shocked that he had felt his brother's grace, what was not taken away, the part that connected them, snap dangerously. Too close to breaking for his liking.

There was a faint shine of a light that had him turning to look, almost instinctively moving to protect his brothers prone form from any danger. But to his immediate surprise, it was a mini DVD player. His eye brows scrunched together as a video began playing, but he watched intently anyway.

 _In the video, Lucifer was his normal age, and he was standing with Father in the study of the house they had been staying in for the last three and a half weeks._

 _"I will do nothing without your consent My Son"_

 _"You want me to consent to being turned into a child and left with the person who wants to kill me?"_

 _Michael is shocked to hear the break in his brothers voice, obviously having been sobbing. Dad sighs gently and caresses his cheek gently, Lucifer does not pull away from the touch._

 _"I am sorry that your punishment, your pain, has been turned into a test for your brother, I am sorry My Precious Morning Star, but it might be the only way for your brother to truly open his eyes, to learn."_

 _It takes a few moments, but Lucifer gives in and gives his consent, Father smiles sadly at him before touching a finger to his forehead._

 _The clip cuts to Lucifer, at school, and the kids making fun of him for the simple things such as his name and eye color._

 _He sees a boy pour milk on his brothers silk soft blonde hair, he'd yelled at him for it._

 _He watches as another child shoves his dear baby brother off of a swing and into the mud puddle underneath, he shouted at him for that._

 _He see's his baby brother whom he'd sworn to love and protect look at him with such fear. As he turned away whenever he walked passed. As he flinched back whenever he looked over at the younger._

 _As his dear baby brother looks shyly at him in ill-concealed terror._

 _He watches as Little Luci, cause that's who he was, huddled terrified under his blankets sobbing as his eyes scurried around his dark bedroom, he'd always be scared of the dark, even in Heaven he'd had a nightlight when he was younger._

 _As he whispers harsh words, 'monster' and 'waste' and 'imperfect' under breath to himself._

 _All words he had said under his breath to the youngster throughout their time together._

The video fizzled out and all but disappeared a moment later, leaving Michael a moment to think about what he had just seen. A moment later and Lucifer's tiny hand twitches in his own.

He's on his feet in a moment, brushing his brothers uncontrollable locks back.

Slowly but surely Lucifer's red eyes flutter open, and almost immediately fill with panic. He moves as best he can away from his older brother with such horror that it breaks his heart into pieces. His gaze shoots downwards to the bandages littering his chest and he panics, scratching at them until Michael reaches up and takes hold of his hands so he can't force them off and the stitches open.

"I'm a freak, I'm a monster, I'm stupid, I'm a mistake. Everyone hates me Mikey, everyone! Brothers, sisters, Daddy, the humans, and even YOU hate me! EVERYONE HATES ME MIKEY! I shouldn't be here Mikey, I shouldn't be. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Michael shook his head sadly, knowing he was responsible for those thoughts, disregarding all intents and cautions as he lifts the small fledgling off the hospital bed and into his arms. Lucifer struggles at first, but deeming it futile, folds into his big brother as harsh sobs rock his body.

The elder archangel rocks the child gently to and fro.

"Hush, hush, its alright Little One, I know it hurts but it will be alright, hush now don't cry"

Lucifer sniffles into his chest, and Michael rubs soothing circles on his back. Picking up the discarded blanket and gently wrapping it around his baby brother to stop his shivering.

"Shhh, its alright, your alright"

Lucifer's sobs died down to simpers and then to hiccups. His blonde head resting gently on his big brother's shoulder. Not that Michael saw himself putting his dear baby brother back down anytime soon.

Lucifer yawned and Michael smiled, "Oh? Are you sleepy Little Star?"

The youth nodded and snuggled closer, Michael smiled softly as he climbed back into the hospital bed as he settled the small angel up on his chest. Lucifer hummed adorably as he gently ran his fingers through his hair.

"That's it now, closer your eyes Dear One, there you go"

The last thing Lucifer felt before he fell back to sleep was warm lips pressing against his forehead.

* * *

Lucifer backed away in terror as the pancake batter dripped down his big brothers face. Michael stood stalk still, not moving and not talking. Lucifer debated on trying to run or not but found himself stuck to the spot in terror.

Michael wiped the goop from his eyes slowly as he turned to gaze at his baby brother. His eyes narrowed.

"M..M-Mikey..I'm so sorry!"

"Oh you're going to be Little One"

Lucifer let out a shriek as his big brother jet forward, and before he would even think about escaping, was being lifted up off the floor in his big brothers arms. He shut his eyes, fearing the worst most painful punishment imaginable.

And his bright red eyes promptly flew back open as he shoved at his big brother, shrieking and squealing in laughter as Michael buried his face in the boys small neck and blew tickly raspberries and kisses into the sensitive skin. His big brother growled playfully as he shook his head, nibbling on the poor boys neck sending the young angel into another round of hysterical laughter.

After a long moment Michael pulled back, smiling softly at his younger brother. Pancake batter had smeared from his face to his brothers neck in the process.

"Are you truly sorry?"

Lucifer giggled adorably, sticking his tongue out in a cheeky manner. Michael chuckled at the youth as he turned his head to the other side.

"Luci, you have pancake batter here! Don't worry! I'll get it"

Growling playfully he thrust his head back into his brothers neck, on the other side this time, eliciting more shrieks and giggles from the small angel. He squealed when his big brother nibbled playfully. After another moment of his playful torture Michael pulled away, resting his batter coated forehead against his dear baby brothers.

He smiled gently at the fledgling, a smile Lucifer returned behind giggles.

"I'm sorry Mikey"

Michael pecked him on the nose, "I'm not"

And promptly lifted the small angel above his head, burying his face in the pudgy tummy that was revealed to him, blowing playful raspberries all over. Lucifer screeched and cackled, trying to turn to the side which only served to have his big brother nibble at his lowest ribs until he twisted back around and warm lips blew against his belly button.

And this time, when tears fell down his baby brother's face, it wasn't out of fear or terror.

No, it was of joy, as he cradled the fledgling in one arm and used his free hand to poke and tease at tickle spots in hard to reach places; his ears, shoulders, thighs.

These were tears of joy.

* * *

Michael chuckled as the small boy bounced on his bed that night.

"Luci, if you don't settle down, you, Little One, are going to get a visit from a certain monster who loves punishing naughty children who don't get in bed when their told"

Lucifer giggled and crawled under the covers, his blonde head popping out.

"Mikey, story?"

The elder angel chuckled once more as he took up the story book and flopped himself down on the bed beside his dear baby brother. Snapping his fingers, his ever strengthening grace responds, the big light turns off and the lamp and nightlight turned on. He pulled the small angel into a warm snuggle, Lucifer nuzzling into his chest as he curls up a top it, Michael opens the story book to where they had book marked it and began to read over his baby brothers blonde locks.

"Once upon a time.."

* * *

Oh, and if he woke up the next morning and found himself with his arms full of a fully grown Lucifer still sound asleep, Michael only smiled and pulled him closer, pressing a tender kiss to his forehead, and went right back to sleep (missing the sleepy smile from the blonde angel), the world could wait another hour or two.

It would simply have to.

* * *

 **So this is for the wonderful MSU82! Thank you so much, you are utterly amazing! I kinda changed it up a lot, and I apologize, I can totally write a version that isn't so far off if you would like! I hope you liked it anyway!**


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